Mamiko leads Silver Streak finishers

Participants in the 7K race of last Saturday’s 23rd Annual Tom Picarro Memorial Fun Run head out to the course. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Veteran runner Mamiko Berger showed the way in last Saturday’s 23rd Annual Tom Picarro Memorial Fun Run.

Mamiko was the overall winner in the 7K course that started and ended across T Galleria with a turnaround point at the Quartermaster Road. She completed the longer race in the weekend event held in memory of former DFS president Tom Picarro in 26:52. According to Mamiko’s husband, Joshua, who also did the 7K course, it was her first overall victory in the annual race. Last year, Mamiko was the first women finisher, but her 26:21 was just second behind first-timer and 2015 champion Jack Stewart (25:44).

Sharing the top honors with Mamiko this year was men’s overall champion Cesar Danao, who crossed the finish line at the 27:58 mark. The men’s and women’s overall finishers received gifts from organizers T Galleria.

The first placers in each age group also got prizes from the race organizer. In the boys U12 division, Dino Sato was the top finisher, while Jerome Diyco and Angel Marie Tan ruled the men’s and women’s 13 to 19 division.

Rounding out the top placers were 20 to 30’s Rommel Atienza and Tinsley Hallman; 31 to 40’s Florante Tacras and Ayano Braxton; 41 to 50’s Ronald Villafria and Tomomi Sato; 51 to 60’s Florence Antonio and Marie Sablan; and 61 and up’s Chang Wan Jang and Suzy Kindel. Seventy-one runners registered for the 7K course.

In the 3K race, there were 74 participants with Japan’s Kozuke Sato leading the finishers list after timing in at 13:02. Claire Devey was the women’s top finisher after submitting 15:13.

In the age groups contests, Takeru Jim and Ayaka Sato shared the top honors in the U12 category, while Leo Cristobal, who was the second overall finisher with his 13:13, won the men’s 13 to 19 division, and Jan Cruz ruled the women’s field.

Completing the first finishers list in the different divisions were 20 to 30’s Angelo Tiamzon and Genna Montes; 31 to 40’s Jeremy Seelinger and Rowena Sison; 41 to 50’s Nathaniel Eugenio and Atsuko Sato; 51 to 60’s Daniel Calvo and Corina Arzadon, and 61 and up’s Richard Pierce and Guadalupe Sabino.

The 3K race had the same start/finish point with a turnaround at the 13 Fishermen in Beach Road.

“We would like to thank all the runners and the volunteers for coming out and supporting this annual event. We will be back next year with a bigger and better race and of course with lots of raffle prizes,” said event announcer and DFS/T Galleria assistant general manager Ben Babauta.